Звездный десант
Chapter 12
Youwakeupinthemiddleofthenightandthink:Nowwhatdidhemeanbythat?Thathadbeentrueevenwithmyhighschoolcourse;Isimplyhadn’tknownwhatColonelDuboiswastalkingabout.WhenIwasakidIthoughtitwassillyforthecoursetobeinthesciencedepartment.Itwasnothinglikephysicsorchemistry;whywasn’titoverinthefuzzystudieswhereitbelonged?TheonlyreasonIpaidattentionwasbecausethereweresuchlovelyarguments.
Ihadnoideathat"Mr."DuboiswastryingtoteachmewhytofightuntillongafterIhaddecidedtofightanyhow.
Well,whyshouldIfight?Wasn’titpreposteroustoexposemytenderskintotheviolenceofunfriendlystrangers?Especiallyasthepayatanyrankwasbarelyspendingmoney,thehoursterrible,andtheworkingconditionsworse?WhenIcouldbesittingathomewhilesuchmatterswerehandledbythick-skulledcharacterswhoenjoyedsuchgames?ParticularlywhenthestrangersagainstwhomIfoughtneverhaddoneanythingtomepersonallyuntilIshowedupandstartedkickingovertheirteawagon—whatsortofnonsenseisthis?
FightbecauseI’manM.I.?Brother,you’redroolinglikeDr.Pavlov’sdogs.Cutitoutandstartthinking.
MajorReid,ourinstructor,wasablindmanwithadisconcertinghabitoflookingstraightatyouandcallingyoubyname.WewerereviewingeventsafterthewarbetweentheRusso-Anglo-AmericanAllianceandtheChineseHegemony,1987andfollowing.
